Press Releases

Wilson to McGuinty: Return Lab to Stayner or Cut LifeLabs funding

(December 9, 2010) Jim Wilson continued his pursuit for a permanent re-opening of medical laboratories in Stayner and Elmvale today. In Question Period, the Simcoe-Grey MPP zeroed in on the Stayner closure and LifeLabs decision to put cash before patients.

“Minister, it’s about time that your government started dealing with lab
companies who understand rural Ontario and care about our
constituents,” said Wilson about LifeLabs in his question to the
Minister of Health. The MPP was referencing a phone call last Friday
where LifeLabs confirmed they have no intention of re-opening their
Stayner location on a permanent basis.

Wilson told the Minister about his offices phone call with Monette
Greenway, LifeLabs Vice President for Government Relations. “When we
asked about seniors on fixed incomes who now have to pay $80 to go from
Creemore to Wasaga Beach and back just to get their blood checked, Ms.
Greenway said they can’t worry about every patient.”

The former Health Minister says LifeLabs has a near monopoly on
diagnostic and clinical testing in Ontario through licenses they receive
from the Ontario government. The company relies on tax dollars to stay
in business since taxpayers are their only customers.

“Since LifeLabs is unwilling to commit to keep their Stayner location
open on a permanent basis, will you show some leadership and revoke
their license, take the money you were spending in Stayner and give it
to another lab company who will do the job right,” asked Wilson.

The local MPP also referenced a speech where April Gamache, LifeLabs
Vice President of Operations, was listed on the program as giving a
speech in Atlanta last year on how to find “substantial cost savings” at
a conference where the first three words on the flyer reads: “Cash is
King.”

The Ontario government will spend $640.9 million on community
laboratories for 2009-10. A large portion of those tax dollars goes
directly to LifeLabs to provide medical laboratory services for Ontario
families. Wilson says those dollars are supposed to support families in
Clearview Township and Elmvale too.